Keeper stars in game of two halves

Stoke City 0 Barnsley 0

TRUST the Germans to come up with a decent-looking goalkeeper called Muller.

That name has long been synonymous with goal-scoring, not goal-saving, but last night it re-defined itself somewhat in football’s vocabulary.

Heinz Muller’s two second-half saves – described as world-class by an exasperated Tony Pulis – were merely two of many narrow squeaks in front of the Barnsley goal during a pretty rousing second 45 minutes.

Stoke were as good second half as they were poor first and the corner count – one before half-time and 12 after – accurately describes the two Stoke teams on show last night.

The first was tentative, disjointed, unimaginative and, frankly, ponderous. But the second was transformed by some choice half-time home truths into becoming lively, forceful and downright unlucky.

Jon Parkin had certainly been handed the wrong game with which to claim his first league start as he was confined to a couple of half-chances in a first period warranting more jeers had the home fans not nipped off already for a half-time fag, er cuppa.

Richard Cresswell’s misplaced pass, followed by a mis-timed challenge seconds later by way of frustration, was typical of Stoke’s wayward endeavours during a lacklustre first 45.

Not that Cresswell should be singled out because at least his enthusiasm throughout was some recompense for Stoke’s chronic lack of progress as an attacking force in that opening period.

Barnsley fared little better, despite some neat movement of the ball, but had little reason to suspect the severe change in temperature after the break.

Stoke’s attempts to recover any semblance of fluency was hardly helped by Carl Dickinson’s premature limp to the touchline to force a minor reshuffle at the back eight minutes after the break. But with Stephen Wright producing something like his best form, and the likes of Liam Lawrence rediscovering theirs, City gradually summoned sufficient confidence and cohesion with which to discover if the visiting keeper really was more Sepp Maier than Sepp Blatter.

We might have anticipated Stoke’s eventual fate, however, when Ricardo Fuller clipped the top of the Barnsley bar with a 56th-minute header from Jody Craddock’s hooked cross.

Wright then underlined his impressive return to the ranks from injury by cutting in from the left and seeing a low drive pushed round his left-hand post in the 68th minute by that man Muller in the visiting goal.

Barely a minute had elapsed by the time Fuller’s trickery down the right channel had left Cresswell wafting over a goal guarded only by desperately retreating defenders.

The home crowd was merciful in its appraisal of such a wretched miss, but rightly so considering his commendable efforts out of position on the left have deprived him of such shooting practice.

Stoke’s intense pressure had long since won over a previously sceptical audience by the time Fuller glided between two defenders on 72 – only to shoot tamely at the keeper when a square ball was being implored by at least one colleague voraciously eyeing a shooting opportunity.

Mama Sidibe’s presence had done much to inspire Stoke’s vast improvement, but a weak header ill-befitting the big man was also handled comfortably by Muller. But the German keeper, one of several continental imports to deepest Yorkshire during the summer, distinguished himself best of all in the 77th minute when adjusting his weight to brilliantly palm away Dominic Matteo’s low piledriver following more fine approach play from Fuller.

Stoke’s failure to seize on one of several loose balls to drop invitingly in front of Muller’s goal was epitomised on 77 when Craddock’s close-range effort was deflected for one of those dozen second-half corners.

Stoke’s haymakers were met with mere jabs at the other end, meanwhile, as the Tykes saw Kayodi Odejayi head into the side-netting and Grant McCann drift one wide.

Injury time saw City pen their somewhat battered visitors back one last time as Lawrence spurned one shooting chance after leaving two defenders on their backside, then unleashed a second that was blocked by yet more earnest defending.

How Peter Sweeney might have brought the house down as he then launched himself into one final effort following a rare appearance from the bench, but his 25-yard thump was a foot or so over Muller’s wunder-bar.

How we shaped up

SIMONSEN: Very little to do except maintain concentration right to end 6

WRIGHT: Impressive return from injury with his best display thus far 7

DICKINSON: Trusty left boot working overtime down the flanks until injury struck 6

SHAWCROSS: Rarely flustered as he coasted through another safe 90 minutes 6

CRADDOCK: Secure at back and several nearly moments in front of Barnsley goal 7

LAWRENCE: Vast improvement in the second half and always a lively threat, out wide and inside 7

DELAP: Always anchoring events in the middle and nearly skinned his man with rare burst of pace down flank in dying seconds 6

MATTEO: Influence gradually grew with that of his team in the second period and was unlucky with a fine shot 6

CRESSWELL: Bags of enthusiasm and shouldn’t be crucified for a miss with a rare chance 6

PARKIN: Never quite got going, but was hardly alone for first hour 6

FULLER: Couple of trademark moments to light up the evening, particularly header against bar 7

SUBSTITUTES

ZAKUANI (for Dickinson, 53): Slotted in pretty capably at right back and produced one potentially goal-saving challenge on Odejayi 6

SIDIBE (for Parkin, 64): Quickly imposed himself and seemed to have a point to prove after being demoted 6

SWEENEY (for Cresswell, 86): Late screamer nearly made up for anonymous start to season 6

Not used: Hoult, Eustace.

BARNSLEY: 22 Muller, 5 Kozluk, 55 Werling, 16 Foster, 18 Souza, 20 Campbell-Ryce, 15 De Silva, 10 Howard, 11 McCann, 9 Odejayi, 13 Ferenczi.

Substitutes: 3 Nyatanga (for Kozluk, 8), 25 Devaney (for Campbell-Ryce, 80). Not used: 1 Colgan, 7 Togwell.